This excerpt from Second Mile Ministries blog by Amy Syres discussing how supporting local business in a country like Haiti may be the most helpful form of aid.
"We attended a conference today that supports this statement. 300 Haitien business people were signed up for the conference and key players from major and minor NGO's were also in attendance. The theme of the conference was to "Buy Local." A major way to boost the economy and drive Haiti out of it's food deficit is to support projects that's encourage food production within the country of a Haiti. NGO's have two options. They can ship food and building materials into the country or, they can purchase Haitien products from Haitien vendors an action that lifts the economy and creates a demand for jobs. It's an important concept. It's a bit revolutionary. If business persons and non-governmental aid agencies alike can jump on board, this trend will push Haiti in the right direction.
The partnering organizations which sponsored this meeting are lobbying for the creation of 100,000 new jobs in Haiti by 2020. So what's new two years later? Well, some of the tents have been folded up or discarded and some of Haiti's boldest and brightest are making their entrepreneurial debut. After the conference we witnessed these men and women courageously showcasing their services and goods to major international organizations. Exciting stuff."
Read the full blog post here.
"We attended a conference today that supports this statement. 300 Haitien business people were signed up for the conference and key players from major and minor NGO's were also in attendance. The theme of the conference was to "Buy Local." A major way to boost the economy and drive Haiti out of it's food deficit is to support projects that's encourage food production within the country of a Haiti. NGO's have two options. They can ship food and building materials into the country or, they can purchase Haitien products from Haitien vendors an action that lifts the economy and creates a demand for jobs. It's an important concept. It's a bit revolutionary. If business persons and non-governmental aid agencies alike can jump on board, this trend will push Haiti in the right direction.
The partnering organizations which sponsored this meeting are lobbying for the creation of 100,000 new jobs in Haiti by 2020. So what's new two years later? Well, some of the tents have been folded up or discarded and some of Haiti's boldest and brightest are making their entrepreneurial debut. After the conference we witnessed these men and women courageously showcasing their services and goods to major international organizations. Exciting stuff."
Read the full blog post here.